Food Wine Culture Tours
216 Lindbergh Avenue
Frederick, MD 21701 USA

Toll free (866) 874-4219
Phone: (301) 663-9160

Austria

Tour Schedule

August 6-16, 2010

 

November 28-December 4, 2010
Famous Austrian Christmas Markets

Austria means Mozart and Haydn and classical Vienna to some and Tyrolean folk culture to others. It is both of these and more! All seasons can be wonderful in Austria and we have chosen early Fall for you along with the Christmas Markets. After arriving in Vienna we will spend our time roaming the countryside, boating the Danube, listening to music both classical and gypsy. Three regions beckon with different gastronomy, wines, history and cultural presentations. Does the "Tuscany of Austria" intrigue you? Farmer and village markets in Fall will entice you to return for the early December Christmas Markets in Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. They are available under our Special Tours.

 

August 6-16, 2010
Call For Pricing

Package includes:

ITINERARY

Day 1 - Friday - Depart U.S.A. to Vienna

Day 2: Vienna – Wachau Valley
Arrival at Vienna Airport. After you meet your tour manager, you will transfer to Krems where you will check in your hotel. Welcome Dinner at the Restaurant Loibnerhof, owner of the winery Knoll. Your tour manager – who is a wine specialist, will spend time going over your tour itinerary.

Day 3: Wine Region Wachau
Today you will go to Langenlois, the most important wine-village in the wine region Kamptal. You will visit the Loisiums, an unique Wine-adventure world, planned by an American star-architect Steven Holl. After a guided tour through the wine cellar, you will be able to taste many of the wines. The tour will continue to Mautern where you will the well known Artist Fritz Gall, who has had great success with his "Wine Pictures" and "Wine Skulptures".

Day 4: Wine Region Wachau
Today you will cruise the Danube from Krems to Spitz – the most beautiful area along the Danube river. You´ll see one of the most beautiful parts in the "Wachau". The magnificent Danube River, Europe’s second longest, is at the heart of some of Europe’s most celebrated cities. Cruising the Danube allows you to view the beautiful scenery along the Danube’s mighty banks. Gothic cathedrals rise from amid lush vineyards and medieval villages stand looking much the same as they did hundreds of years ago.
We will continue by bus to Melk, where you will visit the impressive Baroque Abbey – once the headquarters for Napoleon.

Europe’s Great Cultural Ensemble
Melk has been a spiritual and cultural center of the country for more than 1000 years, first as a castle for the Babenbergs, then from 1089 as a Benedictine monastery, founded by Margrave Leopold II.

Since the 12th century a school has been connected with the monastery, and valuable manuscripts have been collected and created in the library. In the course of the monastery’s history, members of the Melk monastic community have achieved significant success in the fields of natural science and the arts.

Later in the afternoon we visit a vineyard in the one of the main villages in the Region -- the WINE YARD KNOLL". This vineyard has won many gold medal’s over the past 10 years. We will have a gourmet dinner with wine for each course.

Day 5: Vienna
This morning we leave for Vienna – the brilliant capitol of Austria. After checking into your hotel, we will have a day city tour with an English speaking licensed city guide, including a visit to the wonderful Schönbrunn Palace. Dinner on your own.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Schönbrunn Palace with its gardens and
park will take you into a magnificent world of Baroque culture. Inside the palace you'll learn all sorts of interesting facts about the imperial family, while you can continue to enjoy further aspects of Baroque culture with a relaxing stroll around the gardens.

Day 6: Vienna
A free day for shopping and relaxing. Our tour guide will be more than happy to help make dinner reservations, to get you tickets to the opera or a concert, or to make suggestions for sightseeing. You will be given comprehensive information on Vienna before your departure to Austria including a list of museums with their open times … and much more.

Day 7: Wine Region Horitschon - Graz
This morning we will drive from Vienna via Eisenstadt to Graz. You´ll visit the Esterhazy Palace and the world wide famous "Haydn Church" (the composer is buried there).

On the way to Graz, we will drive through the endless vineyards in the Horitschon. At the Weninger winery, we will taste typical red wines like Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent, Bauburgunder as well as Merlot and Cuvees. Lunch will be at a typical restaurant in the region. In Graz, dinner will be on your own.

Franz Weninger would become a shining star among the Austrian red wine producers, and his wines have earned him an excellent reputation at a time when Austria still had the image of being a purely white wine country. Franz was named "Winemaker of the year" in 1995.

Day 8: Wine Region South Styria – Graz
In the morning there will be a city tour in Graz, the capital of the province of Styria with an English speaking licensed guide. Lunch is on your own.

In the afternoon we will travel to Styria – also called "the Austrian Tuscany".
In the beautiful small village Gamlitz we will visit the vinyard Gross and taste
the most important wines of this area like Muskateller, Traminer, Sauvignon
Blanc and Chardonnay. We will visit in a typical "wine-restaurant" with specialties from the region.

Day 9: Graz – Vienna
The morning will be free to enjoy Graz – the capital city of the province of Styria (Steiermark). Graz is Austria's second largest city, with 250.000 inhabitants. As one of the best preserved historic cities in Europe, the Old Town was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Graz is Cultural Capital of Europe 2003. There will be plenty of time to enjoy lunch on your own. In the afternoon we will return to Vienna where you will have ample time in the afternoon and evening to explore Vienna.

Day 10: Vienna – Wine Region
This morning you will have a very special and interesting activity – a wine and cheese course with Josef Bliem in a beautiful old farmhouse in Halbturn.

Welcome to this gourmet course. Among the most enjoyable things in this life count fine dining with a great wine or enjoying a wine with a fantastic cheese

The afternoon will be free to sightsee and shop in Vienna. Tonight you will enjoy a farewell dinner in the stylish Restaurant in Castle Halbturn.

The Baroque Halbturn Castle lies at the eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee lake.

Halbturn castle is the most important secular building of Baroque building art. In 1711 Lukas von Hildebrandt built the castle which served as a hunting and summer residence for the Habsburg family. The ceiling fresco, painted by Franz Anton Maulpertsch, shows the "Allegorie der Zeit und des Lichtes", a commissioned work orderd by Queen Maria Theresia in 1765.

Day 11: Departure Day

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